How to Retire at 62 (Even If You Feel "Behind")
Stay Wealthy Retirement Podcast
Taylor Schulte, CFP®
2.4 • 606 Ratings
🗓️ 26 June 2025
⏱️ 16 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Think you need millions of dollars to retire comfortably? Think again.
Most people believe they're "behind" on retirement savings because they're measuring against arbitrary benchmarks that don't reflect their unique situation.
But what if retiring at 62 is actually more achievable than you've been led to believe?
In this episode, I'm sharing:
► Why you should ignore popular savings benchmarks
► Why delaying Social Security isn't always the right move (and how taking it early might preserve MORE wealth)
► A simple 4-step process to build your personalized early retirement plan
If you're tired of feeling behind and want to discover how early retirement might be within reach right now, this episode is for you.
***
SCHEDULE A COMPLIMENTARY DISCOVERY CALL:
Need retirement & tax planning guidance?
We help 100+ families across the country navigate retirement, optimize investments, and reduce taxes.
🗓️ Learn more and schedule a Discovery Meeting with us.
***
EPISODE RESOURCES:
📊 Get Your FREE Retirement & Tax Analysis!
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | If you want to retire early, I'm going to explain exactly how to do it. |
| 0:04.2 | Because the truth is, if you don't think it's possible, it might be because you're approaching it or thinking about it the wrong way. |
| 0:11.5 | So today, I'm going to break it all down. |
| 0:13.4 | First, I'm going to share why you should ignore retirement savings benchmarks and why delaying Social Security is not always the right answer. Then I'm going to walk |
| 0:22.4 | you through a simple four-step framework for building your personalized early retirement plan. |
| 0:28.3 | By the end, you'll see how retiring as early as 62 might be the smartest decision for you, |
| 0:34.4 | your family, and your health. |
| 0:41.2 | Welcome to another episode of the Stay Wealthy Retirement Show. I'm your host Taylor Shulte, and every week I tackle the most important financial topics to help you stay |
| 0:46.1 | wealthy in retirement. And now on to the episode. |
| 0:53.6 | You've probably been told at some point in your life that you need at least $1 million saved or 10 times your salary or that you must follow the sacred 4% rule to retire safely. |
| 1:05.1 | But here's the truth that longtime listeners of this show are very aware of. |
| 1:09.5 | These one-size-fits-all formulas rarely apply |
| 1:12.8 | neatly to every individual situation. They completely ignore the realities of your life. They |
| 1:18.7 | overlook the option of taking Social Security early at age 62, and they dismiss the idea of |
| 1:24.4 | retirement spending naturally decreasing as you age. Perhaps worst of all, |
| 1:29.9 | these popular retirement formulas ignore lifestyle flexibility. In other words, they ignore your |
| 1:36.6 | ability to adjust discretionary spending, pick up part-time work, relocate, or even downsize your |
| 1:43.1 | home. According to a recent Northwestern Mutual survey, Americans believe that they need $1.5 million |
| 1:49.6 | to retire comfortably, which is 15% higher than the $1.3 million reported last year. |
| 1:56.1 | Even crazier, it's nearly 60% higher than the $950,000 Americans said they needed to retire in |
| 2:03.6 | the 2020 study. People's magic number to retire comfortably has exploded to an all-time high. |
| 2:10.0 | However, many successful retirees, even those living desirable lifestyles, thrive on much less |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Taylor Schulte, CFP®, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Taylor Schulte, CFP® and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.